Women in Hollywood

What has been wonderful about the films that have come out in 2016 has been the women of Hollywood. We have seen a rise of female protagonists in cinema and people love it. This trend of female leads has continued to 2017. With the gender gap for pay being more acknowledged in Hollywood, could this be a sign of a change for more female protagonists instead of a damsel in distress?

After The Theory of Everything, Felicity Jones’ career took off with Oscar-nominated performance as Jane Hawking. We now see her in the latest Star Wars story Rogue One where she plays Jyn Erso and plans to steal the Death Star. Even though the film has had mixed reviews, Jones has been praised as A.O. Scott says in The New York Times “Jones is a fine addition to the “Star Wars” tradition of tough-minded quick-thinking heroines”. Having the hero as a female shows a dramatic change to the typical sci-fi film with an intelligent female lead.

Like most people, I fell immediately in love with Octavia Spencer in The Help with her charming but sassy character. The film moved me to tears, I knew I was not alone in thinking this, even my most unemotional friends have admitted they were truly touched by the film. Now Spencer has gone to star in Hidden Figures, a wonderful film telling the tale of three female mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA in the early years of the space programme. The film has been nominated for three Oscars this year with Spencer included for her performance. The film is finally being made about these amazing women and critics are loving it Aaron B. Peterson said in ‘The Hollywood Outsider’ “Hidden Figures tells a story of genuine heroes that have been shelved for far too long”. It has been called an inspiration for girls everywhere to follow their dreams, could this be a hit at the Oscars? Time will tell.

Personally, I cannot wait to see Ocean’s Eight come out in 2018, the trend of female protagonists will continue with this twist on a classic trilogy. The fantastic line-up of Hollywood’s finest actresses consisting of Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter what’s not to love? We know very little about the plot, but George Clooney has been thought to reprise his role as Danny Ocean playing Sandra Bullock’s brother in the film. Let’s hope it brings as much humour and witty remarks as the original films.

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